Title: A Shadow Of You
Author: Lipstickcat
E-mail: [email protected]
Pairing: Riku/Sora
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don�t anything but my laptop�
Notes: Set after Neverland
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The tiles of the floor were chilly beneath him. Riku pulled his knees up to his chest and stared wide eyed into the darkness. Shining topaz was engulfed by shadows. He couldn�t see anything, only the thick velvety black that muffled his senses. It filled his vision like a blindfold; he could almost feel the caress of the imaginary material over his cheekbones, feel it falling heavily over his skin.
He wasn�t afraid. Maleficent was nearby, she�d keep them safe. She�d promised.
Sora.
Sora was nothing more than broken promises and empty memories. He had his precious new friends now. His priorities had changed and he�d forgotten what was important. Riku hadn�t forgotten. He wasn�t about to break anything. He�d save Kairi, with or without Sora�s help, and it looked like it was going to be the latter. He didn�t care, he didn�t need Sora anyway.
And maybe if he told himself that enough times, he might begin to believe it.
Riku didn�t mind the dark, it was beginning to feel like home, but it would be nice to be able to see, just a little. Instantly, the room was filled with a dim amber light, as if a switch had been turned. There was no source, no shadows were cast; the distribution of light was equal over all the surfaces in the room. Riku wondered if his eyes had simply adjusted to the darkness, or whether Maleficent had sensed his thoughts and had given him the light. Maybe he�d done it himself; she had told him that he had strong powers after all.
He stretched, rubbed his eyes and stood up stiffly, before crossing the room to the bed where Kairi lay. He sat on the edge of the bed and smiled faintly down to her. Her gaze looked through him vacantly; it made him feel like a ghost. She was alive, although her breathing and pulse could barely be detected. He squeezed her hands between his and gritted his teeth.
�I�ll get your heart back, Kairi. I promise,� even in the small room, his voice was swallowed up as if he was speaking from the bottom of a deep well.
He moved from the bed and slumped onto the wooden chair next to it. He felt weary. It had taken a lot of energy to bring Kairi back to Maleficent; perhaps even part of his soul had been drained in the effort. He�d taken risks, and although he wouldn�t admit it out loud, the Heartless had almost overpowered him. He had felt their greedy, bony fingers reaching inside of him, their brittle, yellowed nails scratching at his essence, and their hands grabbing, pulling at his heart. There had been so many. They�d smothered him and he�d almost given in, but he had a strong heart that he wouldn�t let anyone else have.
He�d tried to give it away once, but the person he�d offered it to thought he was joking and had tossed it aside. The bruises it bore from that experience had hardened, made it stronger. He�d never offer it to anyone else, and there was no way he was going to let anyone, or anything, take it. It was his and only his.
He knew that he should try to get some sleep, to gather his energy. He needed to be strong for the both of them. In spite of this, he found himself raising his hand, letting his fingers trace shapes in the air as he called upon a Heartless.
The figure floated before him, feet hovering inches from the floor. It was a familiar shape, but no more than a negative, a black hole version of the person. Riku had complete control over the Heartless; he could have it do anything he desired, or he could do whatever he wanted to it. Several suggestions came to him, but he ignored them, instead reaching out to touch its cheek. Where there should have been warm flesh, it felt like he was touching the surface of cold water.
��Sora�� Riku�s voice cracked before he could even finish the word.
His hand dropped down as he lurched forward in his seat, wrapping his arms around the creature�s waist. He pressed his face against its torso, feeling his skin tingle as he half sank into the anti-matter of its body. Particles of darkness crawled over him where they touched, icy feelers tried to reach inside of him, but he ignored it. He closed his eyes and pretended for as long as he could, for as long as he could remain strong.
��Sora�� he repeated, this time little more than a breathy whisper.
Then, with resolution, his eyes snapped open and he sat back, tearing himself away from the creature�s grasp. He dismissed it forcefully, refusing to give ground or show any further weakness.
Once it was gone, he slumped back in his seat and dragged his fingers through his hair. The light faded to familiar darkness as he allowed himself to drift into a dreamless sleep. A single tear remained trapped in his eyelashes, but even that was soaked into the thick material of the shadows.